The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) Maiduguri Zonal office, yesterday, arraigned one Mrs Josephine Udeh, the director of Dala standard Secondary school Maiduguri, before a state High Court no 12 Maiduguri, for defrauding 280 students of their WAEC examination fees amounting to over N5 million.

According to the EFCC Prosecutor, Halima Shehu, the accused, Mrs Josephine Udeh fraudulently collected the sum of N5.059 million from 284 students of Dala standard secondary school, purported to be WAEC registration fees.

She said the case was reported to the commission and investigation revealed prima facie case against the accused person.

The charge reads, “That you, Josephine Udeh being the director of Dala standard School secondary School Maiduguri, sometimes between 2017 and 2018 in Maiduguri, Borno state within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud , did obtain the accumulated sum of N5 ,059,000.00 ( Five million and fifty nine thousand naira) only from 284 students of Dala standard secondary school, under the false pretence that the said money will be utilized to pay for their WAEC registration fees, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 ( 2) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud related offences Act 2006 respectively.

When the charge was read for the accused, she pleaded not guilty to the crime and the defence counsel, Aminu Sani applied for oral bail application, but the Judge, Justice Aisha Wakil declined the oral bail application and urged the defence counsel to make a written bail application.

Justice Kumalia adjourned the case to 14,15 and 17th may this year for consecutive hearing of the prosecution witnesses and ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody pending the determination of the bail application.